A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 01 eBook

From this place post-horses were appointed to conduct
us with all speed to duke Baatu, under the guidance
of three Tartars. This Baatu is the most powerful
prince among them, next to their emperor. We
began our journey to his court on the first Tuesday
in Lent, and riding as fast as we could trot, though
we changed our horses twice or thrice every day, and
often travelled in the night, it was Maunday Thursday
before we accomplished our journey. The whole
of this journey was through the land of Comania, which
is all an uniform plain, watered by four large rivers.
The first of these is the Dnieper or Boristhenes;
on the Russian side of which the dukes Corrensa and
Montij march up and down, the latter, who marches on
the other side of the plains, being the more powerful
of the two[1]. The second river is the Don,
or Tanais of the ancients, on the banks of which a
certain prince, named Tirbon, sojourns, who is married
to the daughter of Baatu. The third and largest
is the Volga or Rha, on which Baatu resides.
The fourth is the Jaik or Rhymnus, on each bank of
which a millenary commands. All these descend
southwards in winter to the sea, and travel in summer
up these rivers, towards the northern mountains.
All these rivers, especially the Volga, abound in
fish, and run into the great sea, from which the arm
of St George extends past Constantinople[2].
While on the Dnieper, we travelled many days upon
the ice; and on the shore of the sea we found the
ice three leagues broad. Before our arrival at
the residence of Baatu, two of our Tartars rode on
before, to give him an account of what we had said
to Corrensa.

[1] It is difficult to understand the ambiguity here
used, unless we
suppose that the station of
Montij was on the right bank of the
Dnieper; while certainly that
of Corrensa was on the left or
north-east bank.—­E.

[2] The Euxine and Caspian are here confounded as
one sea. It is scarcely
necessary to observe, that
the Dnieper and Don run into the Euxine,
while the Volga and Jaik,
or Ural, are discharged into the Caspian.
—­E.

SECTION XXII

The Reception of Carpini at the Court of Baatu.

When we arrived at the residence of Baatu, in the
land of Comania, we were ordered to pitch our tent
a full league from his station, and when we were to
be introduced at his court, we were informed that it
was previously necessary for us to pass between two
fires. We refused this at first, but were told
there was no danger, and that it was only precautionary,
in case we intended any mischief to their lord, or
should have brought poison along with us, as the fire
would remove all evil. On which we complied, that
we might remove all suspicion of any such sinister
intentions. After this, when we came to the orda,
we were questioned by Eldegay, the agent of the prince,
respecting the gifts we meant to offer; and making